Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-12-09

assurance with which we went to work
Czded in securing confidence. Before the
tank was full the pursuers came in sight,
but seeing US they ran slowly, and as
party Of our men had run lack and put
some distractions on the track out of gun
shot. they were obIgetls to come to full
sop there, thus giving us the time needed
Then we mounted and sped on toward
Dalton
1t was advisable at once to get deci-
sively ahead Of the pursuers before reach
ing this town, which might present seri-
Gus difficulties As there were 10 bridges
to burn now for a considerable distance,
the Gully other thing was to try once more
to tear up the track. The engine was
again in good running condition, and we
rushed rapidly forward, putting frequent
distractions on the track-mostly by drop
ping ties or sticks Of frewood, but in one
or two instances by reversing the engine,
jumping out and piling up distractions.
At favorable place we stopped again for
a more permanent break
Long practice had made us skillful in
this matter. and the last two stops had
shown us that the enemy could not run
upon Us without great care SO we
divided at once into four parties. Scott
and a companion cut the telegraph;
knight circiulIy inspected the engine;
two or three ran back just out Of gun
shot and heapetl distractions on the
track, while the remainder worked with
might and main in taking Up n rail. 1t
was here ti.at a little occurrence took
place that has been much misrcpresented-
A southern account, widely copied,
says that Andrews men almost mutinied
l. vi. Q
are these: 1lle writer and the men in the
box car had come to feel that there was
no need Of running so long before the pur-
suing train. which We could see to he a
short one, with probably not much if any
greater force than our own. Now while
az many were 1T the rail rs could lind
places to work-the process Of lifting it
with our imperfect tools WAS very slow,
requiring more than five minutes-I said
to Andrews: We can capture that train,
If you are willing"
How he asked. | answered:
Find a good place on a curve where
there are plenty Of bushes las the road
had numbcrless curves, and ran mostly
through woods, this was easy; then let
us put on some distractions AMI hide; one
OF our engineers can run ahead a mile or
two and come back after us; when the
enemy stop to clear the track We will rush
on them and when we have captured
them our other engineer can reverse their
engine and send it in hurry down the
track 10 clear the road of any more trains
that may be following
Andrews said, in his quiet way, 1T is a
good plan. 1t is worth trying" and
looked around in a meditative manner as
cncny'- whistle sounded we saw them
rush up to the distractions we had placed
on he track, stop by reversing, and labor
ms frani;cally to clear the road AS we were
doing in irving to raise the rail
But our efforts were in vain. The
stubborn spikes still held. and as they
were ready to move on again, Andrews
called out, "All aboard" and we dashed
away. That was not the place to make a
fight. as we all knew, for reyolvers against
shotglns and rifles would have had No
chance at long range; but from an am
bush we could have been climbing into
their engine and cars before they could
pick up their Guns. and the conflict vould
not have been MANY minutes doubtful
Thi, was the nearest we came to what IA
southern account called ''open mutiny''-
our work No officer WAS ever more
heartily obeycd than was Andrews during
the whole of this ,lay. and none of us said
ANYTHING more about this plan for the
time partlv becnuse we felt that orr
lru,ier ,yns hctt.r able ia iudpe what was
to be done than we. and partly also
must confess. because we thour6t he was
only woitinn fnr the host nI,ca Ia turn M,
our foes and that we ,vouId coon b,va
MI th, firhtinc we wanted
~, f,ll .,,.,oa 90 o,,r ,,,,i,,, ,,., ,,e,,;,
,,,'.I h., i,.,,;si,;,., -. - $500, ~
to,, ma he tba ia ~ n fo,,, ,;os dron,,ad
an ira tr,cL ,,.o ,,.aro onoe ,,,n.,, ,...,,,,ot
AHA dis,nno, ,ioad w. ,at,.5 ~,
interval l,.,Il,, fnr i, ,..s h,. ,,,, ,,,an,,e
cortnin ,hnt ,ba s,,i,ohaa at, III. ,,n;,,,
would be nronorlv ,diusted for n,,r ;,,,'
medioto ,,ns.,,,a ,hro,,,,h. o,d Il No. so
rinue d;gio,,i,,, ,,i,,ht or;so W. II,
b,,a - h.t,lo u.;tL E., l., fo,,. 49, Iii
no in IN. re,r for Dal,o, v.s tho I,r,,nst
-, .-o haJ ,anaI,oI 49,, -
M,r;a,,, uaro . ,ooI l;,.o,.,,1 -, ,r,a,
inn1 l., Ta,,rn.,.o., ,,,h.,ra - d7,,,,e.,, ,,;.t
a., ut, H., e, p;L,,,I -, Cl,,
pooro +hus p,,,li,,,, n Io,.,,, ,r;o,f.,o ~. 30
, r,ilrood man ,vnuId CIV , erect V A,
Tim, rim. NO t.Io,rronh ,yi,oo we az, this
cross ro,d. ,hev vara not rut M, I'm 1877
There were also numerous sid. tracks
md n nrobabi1itv thot cars might he lnftt
standing on some ~ tbem. and ne ,vo bad
moro than made nm our bour,e dal,v ot
Kingston and were now much ahead of
time, there wa. no certainty of The road
being rightly adiusted for M II was
therefore necessary to sion n, tho omen
inc of the switch which was fortupatelv
n little way down from the LARGO n,ssen-
ger depot. which had n shed over nil the
tracks, and through which we had to
pass
Here the coolness and adroitnass If An
Crews shone ont With nre. eminent lustar
II Is likely that whom we nod snnLa,, Of
FIGHTING a little wa, hack his mind was
occunied rather with the nroh,nm of nass-
inc Dalton and of ;udcino, bv -rhot tooL
place there whether the enemy was warned